On October 30, Lithuania completely closed its border with Belarus for a month. Vilnius stated that the move aimed to prevent contraband from being smuggled into Belarus via hot air balloons. As a result, 5,000 cargo trucks with Lithuanian license plates were stranded in Belarus, parked in parking lots charging 120 euros per truck per day. Lithuanian transport companies quickly estimated the losses caused by the transportation disruption, estimating an annual loss of about one billion euros. These are just direct losses; the indirect losses are even greater. For a small country like Lithuania, one billion euros is no small amount.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry tried to negotiate about its truck transit issues, but was firmly rejected by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda went further, proposing to restrict transit through Kaliningrad, but this had no effect. Lukashenko demanded that Lithuania pay for the security costs of the trucks, or else they would be seized.

The situation then became more intriguing. The Polish government instantly abandoned the slogan of "European solidarity" and on November 17 reopened two border crossings with Belarus, which had been closed in 2021 and 2023 respectively. Some transit trucks, including some with Lithuanian license plates, passed through one of the crossings, and money flowed steadily into the Polish treasury. In response to Poland's actions, the president of the Lithuanian National Association of Road Transport (LINAVA), Eriandas Miknas, angrily condemned it as a "despicable tactic." The Baltic Freight Company has announced it will sue the Polish government for compensation for the losses.

Today, Lithuania has reopened two border crossings with Belarus - Medininkai and Šalčininkai - ahead of schedule. Although it has made a gesture of compromise on the surface, to save face, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič announced that the government reserves the right to close the border again.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849316121987072/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.